Wincham Bend T&M

Just before 10 o’clock we spotted a boat coming upstream, Diana had just returned to the boat after dumping the recyclables so we made ready to set off, thinking we could share a lock with him, wrong, we pulled out and he pulled into our mooring space. I thought this sign was a bit rich on a flowing river about a 100 foot wide and 10 foot deep.The dredger and tug are now moored below Saltersford lock with the mud hopper up the arm, so it looks as if dredging will start there this week. We met a boat just before Saltersford lock, I have seen some dogs in strange places but on top of the canopy was a new one on me, when we arrived atthe lock it was empty but the gates closed. There were 3 lock keepers on duty, so I guess there was a bit of training going on. Saltersford lock takes the same time to fill as it does to empty. A short way above the lock CRT have developed another mud settling pond. Shortly after this we met another boat coming down, if he had been at the lock before us we would have had an hours wait. We carried on to Anderton Lift and moored on the pontoons just upstream of the lift. This leg of the journey had taken just under 1½ hours.
Once tied up we wandered up to the Visitor Centre and had a light lunch. The centre has changed a lot since our last visit over a year ago. The fancy good counters have gone and the restaurant tables spread out to where they use to be. The desk now faces you as you walk in the main doors and not backing on to the stairs and as I said last week when we just walked through there are now penny slot machines down stairs.
We wandered back to the boat and a CRT man came down to see us and asked if we would like to go up earlier on the 3pm  lift as they had a space, this suited us as we were only kicking our heals and I started writing this blog. While we were waiting to enter the lift, Duke, the restaurant from Davenports tea rooms  on the Trent and Mersey canal.
3pm. and 2 cruisers came down the lift, us and another boat entered, gates closed and waiting for the off. The lift attendant (can I call him that) said there would be a slight delay as they had to load the passengers for the trip boat coming down and there were 26 of them but a lot slower than expected. The next information was the trip boat is on the aqueduct, followed by “the trip boat has broken down and they are pulling it into the cession and they are going to have to pull it out at the bottom.So I am glad we started early. Once back on the Trent and Mersey canal we chugged towards Middlewich, I fancied mooring at Wincham Bend as there are some rings there but its normally full, as we approached as expected it was full, but then I realised the first boat wasn’t tied up and was waiting for me to pass so that he could pull away, result, as soon as he was gone we were in.

Today’s Journey

7½ miles, 1 lock, 1 lift in 3¼ hours